Annual UNT Space Survey
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a facilities inventory database (a.k.a. space database)?
What is a space survey and why is UNT conducting one?
What information is being surveyed and why is it important?
Where did the space classification scheme come from?
When is the UNT Space Survey conducted, and how long will it take?
How is the UNT organizational hierarchy represented in the Space Survey?
How are the rooms organized in the survey from the FIMS hierarchy?
Who are the participants in the UNT Space Survey process?
Can I change the Space Official or Delegate
selection?
I’m not an expert on classifying space, so how do I know I am classifying it correctly?
Who can I contact for help in classifying a room or space?
What if I find rooms in my Survey List that aren’t mine, or vice versa?
How do I know when I am finished with the survey?
What is a
Facilities Inventory (a.k.a. facilities inventory database, or space database)?
The Facilities Inventory is a common coding scheme used to identify, measure, classify and organize data about physical facilities, i.e. buildings. The data is contained in a database. The basic unit of analysis in most Facilities Inventories is a room, but spaces with imaginary boundaries that separate different uses of space can also qualify as a “room.” These individual spaces become records in the database where different categories of information are maintained.
What
is a space survey and why is UNT conducting one?
A space survey is a process where campus users update data about the space they occupy, use or have assigned to them. The data from the survey participants is then collected and used to update the Facilities Inventory. The updated Facilities Inventory will then be used as a source for mandated state and federal reporting, as well as inform internal decisions about the assignment of space, aide in the analysis of space utilization, and provide justification for capital planning projects. Ultimately, the data will be used to determine the amount of funding the university receives either from the state or federal government.
UNT is conducting this survey process to obtain the most up-to-date information about campus facilities and replace the legacy system of Facilities Inventory data collection.
What
information is being surveyed and why is it important?
The UNT Space Survey is asking Survey respondents to verify and report on five main areas of information. They are:
This code relates to a room’s exclusive or predominant design/use. There are 11 categories of codes that encompass all types of space found in campus buildings, and there can only be one Room Type code for each room. Visit this page on the Facilities Inventory website for a full listing of Room Type categories and the definition of the codes: http://www2.facilities.unt.edu/depts/inventory/roomtypes
2. Room Use code*
This code relates to the function taking place in the room. The function of a room must be prorated out if applicable. Visit this page on the Facilities Inventory website for a full listing of Room Use categories and the definition of the codes: http://www2.facilities.unt.edu/depts/inventory/roomcodes
3. Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code*
This code relates to the academic discipline that is using the space. Visit this page on the Facilities Inventory website for the authoritative list of CIP codes for the Space Survey: http://www2.facilities.unt.edu/depts/inventory/cipcodes
4. If the space qualifies as Education and General (E&G)
E&G status means that the space is used for academic instruction, research, or in direct support of the university’s mission. E&G status is dependent on Room Type and Room Use coding. Visit this page on the Facilities Inventory website for a simple break-down of which codes exclude a room from E&G status: http://www2.facilities.unt.edu/depts/inventory/eandg
5. Occupants of the room (not required, but this is a tool for those that want to identify persons in their rooms.) Name of people physically occupying the room. The people available for this function are uploaded from the Human Resources database of university faculty and staff. If changes need to be made for any person, please have Space Delegate email FIMS with correct information and it will be updated. The information will then need to be updated
The asterisk (*) by Room Use and CIP code means that these two codes can be (and should if applicable) prorated to accurately identify different functions and academic disciplines that are contained in that space. Up to three different Use and CIP codes can be prorated to a room. The percentage of time dedicated to each of the functions or academic disciplines is the average over the fiscal year (Sept 1 – Aug 31), and should total 100 percent.
Accurate information is not only important for the support of external
reporting requirements and internal decision-making, but the data feeds the
formulas used to calculate how much funding the University receives – both from
the State of Texas funding formulas, and for recovering Facilities and
Administration (F&A) costs for research activities. The Facilities Inventory itself will be subject
to audits from University staff, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and
Federal Reporting staff.
Where
did the space classification scheme come from?
According to the State of Texas Administrative Code for Education, institutions of higher education must report their Facilities Inventory data to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). It is the THECB that created the Facilities Inventory Classification and Procedures Manual (July 2002) that is the source for all the coding taxonomy used to classify space. You may visit the manual online here for more information, but the Facilities Inventory staff has extracted the pertinent information and placed it on their website here for easy reference – look under “Resources.”
When is
the UNT Space Survey conducted, and how long will it take?
The UNT Space Survey will take place annually between April and August. Each year, Facilities Management and Construction will issue a memo notifying the campus about the Space Survey event. The entire process should take 6 – 8 weeks.
For the people identified as required to complete the actual online Space Survey, the amount of time required to complete the process will vary depending on the amount of space (i.e. rooms) that must be updated.
How is the UNT
organizational hierarchy represented in the Space Survey?
The hierarchy used in FIMS is similar to the PeopleSoft Financials (FS) tree levels and accounts. Some of those are also similar to Learning Solutions (LS), but not always. The FIMS hierarchy is a continual work in process as units change. The goal of the FIMS hierarchy is to roll up space reporting to the next level, ultimately all the way up to the vice president level, while providing campus users with a coding scheme that is already familiar by using the accounts and descriptions from PeopleSoft. Keeping in mind that the Office of the President is the final “owner” of all university space, the hierarchy is:
1. President
2. Vice Presidents
3. College/School/Division
4. Base Department – this is the level the Space Survey organizes rooms by
5. Dept ID
FIMS staff can change, delete, or add Base Departments, and move rooms from/to different departments. Under each Base Department are rooms with “Dept ID’s” similar to Financials (FS), which can be edited as well. Rooms can be coded to different Dept ID’s as well. Space Delegates can request changes in the list of rooms for their base department by contacting FIMS-Survey@unt.edu. See the question “What if I find rooms in my Survey List that aren’t mine, or vice versa?” for more information.
How are
the rooms organized in the survey from the FIMS hierarchy?
The Space Survey organizes rooms by Base Departments from the FIMS hierarchy. That is typically an “N” number like N38100 (Facilities), for example. Upon logging into the Space Survey you will see all rooms that “roll up” to the Base Department. Remember that several different Dept ID’s may report to the Base Department level in the FIMS hierarchy. In the Space Survey, the rooms for each Base Department are listed by building number then room number because that data never changes, whereas departmental information changes.
Who
are the participants in the UNT Space Survey process?
The primary participants for the UNT Space Survey are the Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents are ultimately responsible for the validity of the Space Survey results, but Facilities Inventory staff has created a formal documented process that allows the VPs to appoint individuals at the College/School/Division hierarchical level that would be more knowledgeable about their space.
The Vice President can appoint a Space Official for each College/School/Division that reports to them. The Space Official will then be responsible for identifying one person at the Base Department level to be responsible for surveying the rooms and the completion of the online Space Survey. The Base Department level representative is the Space Delegate.
The Space Delegate will be responsible for verifying and/or updating the rooms that are assigned to the Base Department under the College/School/Division level. A Base Department may have one or several Dept ID’s that branch off the Base Department. The Space Delegate can devise ways for the individual departments at the Dept ID level to survey their own space, but the Space Delegate is responsible for the online survey submission and must certify the survey results as being accurate and correct.
A Space Official is an individual at the College/School/Division level of the FIMS hierarchy that is appointed by the Vice President as responsible for the coordination of the Space Survey at the Base Department level.
The Vice President may provide authority to the Space Official to certify the survey results on behalf of the VP. The Space Official is also responsible for appointing a Space Delegate at the Base Department level that will be responsible for actually completing the online Space Survey.
A Space Delegate is a person at the Base Department level of the FIMS hierarchy that is chosen by the Space Official to actually complete the online Space Survey. Once identified, the Space Delegate will receive information and instruction from the Facilities Inventory staff on how to access the Space Survey and update the data for the list of rooms assigned to a particular Base Department.
The Space Delegate must provide their certification that the Space Survey results are accurate to the best of their knowledge. They will then forward the UNT Space Survey Certification form to the Space Official for final certification, or the Vice President if the Space Official does not have authority to certify on behalf of the Vice President.
Can I
change the Space Official or Space Delegate?
Changes can be made to Space Official or Delegate selections. Below is an example of the process.
A. The Space Manager for the Provost, Darlene Callahan, has “filled in the blanks” on the Space Official and Space Delegate forms as a courtesy for those involved. She identified each Dean as the “Space Official” and each Department Chair as the “Space Delegate”.
Space Officials can make changes:
1. To transfer Space Official responsibility to someone else, submit attached Transfer form. This transfers all responsibility, including final certifications, to someone else.
2. To change Space Delegate(s), submit previously completed Space Delegate form with changes made. That form will replace the previous form.
a. Dean makes changes to Delegate list.
b. Chair passes function to someone else. Chair is responsible for providing that information to the Dean. The Space Delegate is responsible for seeing that accurate space data is given to FIMS staff via the survey and for certifying the data is correct. Only the listed Delegate receives a password for their BASE department. If the Delegate has support staff collect and enter data into Survey for their certification, please provide FIMS staff with their contact information. Support staff can be included in Survey correspondence and are strongly advised to attend the July 8th/July 9th Survey Training.
FIMS desired results from selection of Space Official and Delegate:
1. A comprehensive list to refer to for all Officials on campus.
2. A comprehensive list to refer to for all Delegates on campus.
These lists will provide FIMS staff the means to correspond with essential persons going forward which will be vital to the success of the UNT Space Survey.
I’m not an expert on classifying space, so how do I know I am
classifying it correctly?
The logic behind the Space Survey is that the people who actually house the space will know its function the best – the issue then becomes finding the correct codes that reflect those realities. The coding of space can be a subjective task with many different “right” answers depending on circumstances – different uses at different times of the year, previous use compared to future use, etc. We understand that it may seem daunting having to find the appropriate code, but keep in mind that the code should reflect the predominant reality of that space’s design, function and academic discipline.
The Facilities Inventory website has provided resources for finding the correct categories and codes for classifying the room’s Type, Use and CIP Code on their website under “Resources” here. You will find the codes broken up into categories, and those categories will contain the specific codes with accompanying definitions to aid you in choosing the most appropriate one.
Who can
I contact for help in classifying a room or space?
You can call the Facilities Inventory Manager, Patti McGee, at 369-7383, or Peter Palacios at 369-8049 for immediate assistance with coding your space. Or, e-mail your questions to FIMS-Survey@unt.edu. Facilities Inventory staff will also be available for face-to-face meetings to provide assistance.
What if
I find rooms in my Survey List that aren’t mine, or vice versa?
Space Delegates can request changes in the list of rooms for their base department by contacting FIMS-Survey@unt.edu.
If you are requesting a room be added to your room list, please provide the building number, room number, base department number and Dept ID that the room should be assigned to.
If you are requesting a room to be deleted from your room list, please provide the building number, room number. If you should know any information about whom the room should be assigned to (e.g. department name, Dept ID, Base Department number), please provide that information as well.
How
do I know when I am finished with the survey, and what do I do then?
You must go through each room record in your list of rooms in the Survey and either verify the legacy information, or update the data. At the bottom of the Survey screen, click on “Save Changes” for each room record you edit. To track your progress, you can view a “Survey Summary” report found by clicking on the “Report” button at the top of the page. The “Survey Summary” report will provide you with a tabular report of survey data and track the last date and time a change was made to any particular room record.
Once all of the room records have been updated, you must print out the “Survey Summary” report. When you are ready to submit the results, click on “Submit Survey Data” upon log out of the Space Survey portal. Then, visit the Facilities Inventory website and print out the UNT Space Survey Certification form. The Space Delegate will formally certify the survey results by providing their signature and routing the form, along with the Survey Summary report, to the Space Official for final certification. Once the form is completed, route the Certification form and a copy of the Survey Summary print to Facilities Management and Construction – you may want to keep a copy of these documents for your records.
For the Provost area, there will be three certifications needed and a special form must be used. That form is located on our website as Space Survey Certification – Provost Area form. The Provost’s Space Manager will be the third and final certification on the form.